Great Grandma Bahr

This past wknd in Michigan we got to spend some special time with my Grandma Bahr and even some moments with my Grandpa Bahr who hasn't been doing very well. Ryan was able to capture some great photos and I thought I'd share.

Ava has always warmed up well to my Grandma (both Ryan and I have observed this) and it's so fun for me to see how much my grandma enjoys her. She is one of the gentlest, wisest and loving women I know and I am blessed by her life and her example.

Having a conversation
Reading books together - one Ava's new favorite pasttimes.
I just love how Ryan captured my grandma here. She was laughing at something Ava had done.
The first day we went and saw my grandpa he was very in and out. Ryan was able to capture one of the times he was able to connect more. One of the things he consistently would respond to was Ava giving him a kiss. We love you lots Papa Willard!

snapshots

her life is so rough

gonig to the park with Addy and Brynne
When I went to go get Ava from her room when she woke up from her nap this morning, this is how I found her! I think it's time to lower the crib again.

we're off to my parents in michigan for the wknd . . .can't wait! : )

Have a great wknd everyone!

my 8 month old

Ava turned 8 months old last wednesday! I didn't post about it because Daddy won out that day (see earlier post entitled "my hero"). Every new week I see her learn so much. This last week Ava's become a pro at two things: standing and whining.

Let's start with the good: standing!! She pulls herself up on everything she can and is doing a great job balancing herself. She's quickly mastering moving from one item to the next. This morning she actually stood completely on her own for about 5 seconds - I think she shocked herself! Now if she could just learn how to get back down!! : )

yet with the good . . .comes the not so good. Ava has perfected the whine at 8 months (hmm, maybe this means she's had a good teacher?!?!). The funniest is when she'll come and cling on my leg, look imploringly up at me and start her sad story (ok, so sometimes, I don't find it funny). So instead of showing lots of cute pictures, I thought it would be much more fun to just share with you a few minutes of Ava's sad saga.

My hero . . . .

Have I ever mentioned I've been blessed with the world's greatest husband? I can think of countless times in our married life that this fact has been confirmed . . .these past few weeks were no exception.

To say the past 3 weeks of mine have been stressful seems slightly an understatement. I had to play catchup on school (think 3 papers on top of things already due), study for an entirely written final for my crisis counseling course (which took 2 1/2 hours to finish) and in my spare time finish a research paper that upon completion boasted 18 pages of SINGLE SPACED utterings. Add in an overly extended calender (we never MEAN to), lack of sleep, and a baby on the prowl and you have a recipe for diaster or what I like to call "breakdown of a wife." But have no fear. Did I mention my husband is a hero?!?!

I can think of mutiple episodes on my part these past weeks of a few (ok, maybe more) tears and endless "I can't do this." Yet each time Ryan calmly took me in my arms, placed a kiss on a forehead and reminded me "we can and you will."

I can remember many piles of laundry, stacks of dishes, and strewn-about toys that I looked at and wondered, "when?!" Yet on multiple occasions my handsome hubby quietly took care of them on his own (even our sheets got washed and changed!).

I can remember more than one late night overwhelmed at the computer . . .yet making myself do "just a little more" as Ryan hung out as my moral support in the other room and checked in every so often to encourage.

I can remember an active little baby girl who loves to play and explore . . .and the world's best daddy spending entire wknd's on daddy duty (including early mornings!). . ..and his little girl delighting in every minute with her hero. I was just blessed by the sounds of their playing.

He's struggled through it all with me and celebrated the achievements along the way. And as I walked out the door to class last night to finally hand in my completed paper, he simply handed me a wrapped gift with the instructions I was not to open it until I was on my way home.

After class, I wearily got into the car tired enough to dread the 35 minute drive ahead of me. But I opened my gift to find a homemade cd and an incredible note from my husband. On the cd were enough "love songs" (think the fun kind, not just sappy) to get me through my ride home and wind to a finish as I pulled into our neighborhood.

On countless occasions in our marriage Ryan has not only picked up my loose ends . . .he has held them up. He blesses me in in so many ways. On our wedding invitation was written the verse, "I have found the one whom my souls loves." It is no less true today. Thanks love, for being my hero!

and so the fun begins

As Ava is getting increasingly mobile, she is also getting increasingly into things. Yes, I know, it hasn't truly begun yet. But here's one exploration delight my daughter had this week. The look of pride on her face when I found her (after leaving the room for all of 30 seconds) was pretty funny (and at least it wasn't nail polish ; ) ).

With the independence comes the independent spirit. Ava's new expression of dislike of anything (food, lack of mobility, etc) is this "face." The first night Ryan and I were laughing so hard that I think we encouraged it to be a request for attention. We're working on reversing that. In the meantime, here's a picture of your own amusement from when Ava was ready to get out of her high chair. I knew my daughter had chubby cheeks but this fully captures it! : )